Darius Sherwood
Professor Darius Sherwood (教授ダリウスシャーウッド) is the founder/former leader of Team Ashling and the "main antagonist" in Pokémon Light & Darkness. Professor Sherwood is a researcher in dream energy and how brain patterns affect dreams. He formed Team Ashling for extra assistance in successfully completing his research. Darius returns in Pokémon Twilight as Professor Maple's partner. History in the Games Professor Sherwood is a scientist that specializes in dreams alongside his sister, Doctor Fennel in the Unova region and both have a Musharna. His wife died shortly after their daughter Hope Sherwood was born, leaving Darius the only one to care for his daughter. When the professor learned about the Princess of Dreams and the Prince of Nightmares in the Emperios region, he moved along with Hope to do further research on dreams. At one point, he gave her a Munna, which she named Lila. A few years after moving to Emperios, Professor Darius finally completed his dream research and attempted to test his dream energy conversion machine. However, because of an unidentified Pokémon that bit on the wires, the machine malfunctioned and caused an explosion of dream energy that sent Hope and Lila to the Dream World. Brought to despair, Darius discontinued his research for weeks. When looking through some old documents, he discovered his old research on Faerixie and Daemixie. The professor comes to the conclusion that one of the two in their Dream Forms will be able to help him rescue Hope and Lila from the Dream World. As a result, he formed Team Ashling, which consisted mostly of volunteers and scientists including his new assistant, Azimuth. At some point, Darius discovered that an undocumented device was used to create unstable gateways to the Dream World, which sent Cilan's Simisage, Chili's Simisear and Cress's Simipour to the Dream World. Professor Sherwood invited them into Team Ashling with a promise to rescue their Pokémon, but Cilan turns him down which Darius respected. Pokémon Light & Darkness The player and the travel companion meet Professor Sherwood in the Team Ashling Dream Facility, the organization's main base. To the player and the companion's surprise, he thanks them for stopping Team Ashling incidents as he wasn't the one that gave those orders that the player had to overcome. Darius reveals that the grunts were actually taking orders from his admin and assistant Azimuth, who he had discovered was using Team Ashling for his own goals. He then asks the player and the companion to meet him in the Illusion Mines after managing to convince them that he will not use the Dream/Nightmare Stone to do harm. At Illusion Mines, The duo meet up with Darius in the Summoning Chamber. After summoning either Faerixie or Daemixie, the professor asks them to take their Dream Forms to create a proper gateway to the Dream World so he can rescue Hope, Lila and the three Pokémon. In the middle of the transformation however, Azimuth arrives with the other admins, ordering to surrender Faerixie/Daemixie. Darius joins the player and the companion in a Trio Battle against the admins. After the admins leave, Darius asks the player to go to the Dream World in his place in case they come back. Once Hope, Lila and the three simian Pokémon are rescued, Darius tearfully embraces his daughter and thanks the player. The group leaves the mines and Darius tells the player that he will report himself to the police for Team Ashling's behavior despite not giving the orders. Instead, the player can find him and Hope in Old Port City assisting Professor Maple. The player can battle Sherwood and his Musharna, who can now Mega Evolve. Pokémon Twilight Professor Darius now works as Professor Maple's partner at her lab in Old Port City. He joins Professor Maple on a research excavation and meets the player and ask to assist them in their research. Darius also tells them to keep an eye out for his daughter Hope, who is also out on a journey. The player can return to Old Port City and talk to Darius. He will give an evaluation of the bond between the first Pokémon in the party and the player. If the bond is strong enough, he will award the Pokémon the Vast Bonds Ribbon. If the Pokémon can Mega Evolve, the professor may also award a matching Mega Stone. History in the Anime Chasing Dreams Sweet Dreams Dream Seekers Characteristics Appearance Professor Sherwood is a man in his late thirties with a scrawny build. His eyes are a deep green with long, mulberry purple hair that curls at the ends kept in a ponytail with a yellow, aqua green and white hair cone. His skin is pale, but not a sickly pale. Darius's outfit is plain compared to past organization leaders. He wears an over-sized, long-sleeved aqua green shirt under a calf-length, white lab coat with a purple band that bears Team Ashling's logo and purple and pink lines on the ends of the sleeves. His bottom half is composed of plain, deep tan khakis, white socks and light brown loafers. Personality Despite being the leader of Team Ashling, Darius is a soft-hearted parental figure to his followers and others. He is against conflict and inflicting pain, not including Pokémon Battles. Darius treats others with kindness and doesn't strictly enforce orders unless it is a form of punishment. The professor never raises his voice unless someone deliberately disobeys an important order. He takes others' pain as his own, making promises and intending on keeping them. Relationships Hope Hope is Darius's beloved daughter and the source of his inspiration in his research as well as the reason for forming Team Ashling. Fennel Darius speaks very fondly of his little sister. From conversations with him, they are on very good terms and understanding of each other, as seen that Fennel knows her brother's position as an organization leader. Chili and Cress In the games, Darius respects Chili and Cress and appears to be a bit of a father figure for them. The professor is very grateful to the two and trusts them to a great deal, as they trust him. Darius felt fully obligated to save their partners and their brother's partner as well. In the anime, the father figure in the games is more prominent and seen. Darius shows sincerity towards Cress and Chili, speaking softly and calmly toward them unlike the admins. He is sympathetic to them, understanding the pain of hurting family. Azimuth Genevieve Hound Protagonist Gallery List of Pokémon Games Light & Darkness Anime Trivia * Darius is the first organization leader to be double-crossed by his admins in the main series. * He is the only leader to have either siblings or children by birth. *He is the only organization leader to be optional to battle. Category:Pokémon Category:Pokémon Light & Darkness Category:Pokémon Light & Darkness Characters Category:Pokémon Light & Darkness Team Ashling